Bio

Gary has arranged M&A transactions for entrepreneurs, private equity groups, and corporations engaged in manufacturing, distribution, and business services. In addition to business sales and recapitalizations, he has also handled the divestiture of non-core holdings for corporate clients including Chef Solutions, Valspar Corporation, Donaldson Company, Quad/Graphics Inc., and AAF-McQuay International. Gary began his career in commercial real estate at CB Richard Ellis before moving to Dallas-based Trammell Crow Company where he developed commercial properties and rose to the rank of Partner. At various time he oversaw Trammell Crow’s operations in Minnesota, Ohio and Kentucky. Gary then worked in institutional fixed income and structured finance at Dain Bosworth before joining boutique M&A advisor Benakis & Company in 1995. He acquired Benakis upon the death of its founder in 1998. In 2005, Goldsmith Agio Helms acquired Benakis to establish a service platform for the lower middle market. At Goldsmith the team grew in size and scope. Following Lazard’s acquisition of Goldsmith in 2007 and its decision to focus on larger clients, Gary and his colleagues left in 2009 to form Quetico Partners LLC. In 2018, Gary co-founded Hennepin Partners when Craig-Hallum’s M&A Group combined with Quetico Partners. The founders of Hennepin are former colleagues and friends from Lazard Middle Market. Gary holds a BS degree in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University. He is a former trustee of Carleton College and an Emeritus Trustee of the Science Museum of Minnesota.